I’m stll amused by Labour launching their campaign before they have a candidate. Do they not realise that there is no party vote in a by-election – only a candidate vote?

Also not sure stealing Winston’s campaign slogan is a smart idea. People may ask then why they stopped the MP who lives in Mt Albert from standing, and instead are parachuting in a UN guy?

Now that Shearer is guaranteed to win. Head Office is highly dominant with 3/7 votes, but the local electorate committee will not necessarily roll over and play dead for Goff’s old school friend. The Herald has a photo of all the candidates here.

Meanwhile the media, and seemingly the party hierarchy, appear to have anointed UN diplomat David Shearer as Labour’s candidate for the seat. It’s a strategy that may well backfire. Shearer’s abilities are not in question; he might well make a first class MP. But local electorate organisations don’t like being presented with a fait accompli where candidate selection is concerned and may well rebel.

Edwards continues:

Seven votes will decide who wins the Labour nomination for Mount Albert – four from the electorate and three from Head Office. If I were one of those four, I might well be starting to feel somewhat disgruntled around now. Whether it is reality or not, the perception is that that the old boy network is at play here. A close friend and former advisor to Phil Goff, who has been out of the country for three years and does not in any real sense live in the electorate, has jetted home to be dubbed ‘frontrunner’ in the race before even getting off the plane. There are veiled suggestions of carpetbagging. None of this may actually be the case, but it is certainly how it looks. And in politics how things look is everything.

Perception trumps reality in politics.

At another level, what Labour now needs more than anything is rejuvenation. Shearer will be new to Parliament certainly, but his age and close association with the Labour establishment do not really suggest an infusion of fresh ideas. And with the announcement that Russel Norman will stand for the Greens, rejuvenation and new ideas have become an urgent priority.

I should declare that Judy and I have both offered 24-year-old Meg Bates our support in her attempt to win the nomination. Meg has been one of Judy’s tutors in Political Studies at Auckland and we have got to know her very well. If she doesn’t win the nomination, we’ll be delighted to support whoever does.

Dame Cath Tizard has also endorsed the young Bates.

This is not Shearer’s first attempt at Parliament. In 1999 he was a list only candidate for Labour – was ranked No 62. In 2002 he was ranked No 45, and stood in Whangarei where he did not do so well. Labour beat National in the party vote by almost 4,000 votes but Phil Heatley won the electorate vote by over 3,000 votes.

Looking at the vote splitting, Shearer got only 74% of the Labour vote, and 1% of National voters, Heatley got 92% of the National vote and 14% of the Labour vote.

I understand Shearer also stood for the Waitakere nomination at one stage, but lost it to Lynne Pillay.

Shearer may also struggle with how well he fits the rejuvenation that Labour claims it is about, as he is in his 50s.

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This entry was posted on Monday, April 27th, 2009 at 11:00 am and is filed under NZ Politics.
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There is a bizarre disconnect between “Putting Mt Albert first” and Labour’s behaviour: kneecapping the local candidate most locals apparently want to shut out someone coming into Parliament on the list whom the Labour hierachy don’t want and then bringing in a carpetbagger (however worthy) from overseas.

Last night on TV Goff said how desirable it was to have a non-MP as candidate. That too is an argument based not on what is good for people in Mt Albert (which is surely having the best MP) but based on the side-effects.

From the outside it seems more like Labour is putting the people of Mt Albert last.

What’s this terror of academia? I’ve always thought academics are workers as well. And the ones in the politics department of a university are probably more in touch with grass roots NZ than most people.

What’s this terror of academia? I’ve always thought academics are workers as well. And the ones in the politics department of a university are probably more in touch with grass roots NZ than most people.

What’s this terror of academia? I’ve always thought academics are workers as well. And the ones in the politics department of a university are probably more in touch with grass roots NZ than most people.

Put it this way. Just because you’re a physicist, doesn’t mean you know what it’s like to be an electron.

I just don’t get the “Put Mt Albert first” slogan. It’s almost inviting Mt Albert voters to vote National, and receive the benefits of an MP sitting in government. I’m not in favour of voting on local issues, but if Labour are making it the top campaign issue then a National MP is in a far better position to deliver then a carpet-bagger sitting on the opposition back benches.

Like the turn of phrase, Ryan, but it seems to imply that political scientists aren’t also residents, citizens and voters. A step up from electrons I hope or we’re all doomed! They put the garbage out on Thursdays like everyone else.

Like the turn of phrase, Ryan, but it seems to imply that political scientists aren’t also residents, citizens and voters. A step up from electrons I hope or we’re all doomed! They put the garbage out on Thursdays like everyone else.

True enough, but by virtue of them being professional academics, you can know with some degree of certainty some things about them. Their income, for a start. They may be able to lecture about how hand-to-mouth voters will behave, but they won’t know experientially (or will have forgotten) what it’s like to be uncertain of next week’s rent or food.

It’s not necessarily a criticism, just a fact of life – we can only know what it’s like to be us, and the more different from us someone is, the harder it is to put yourself in their shoes.

The most interesting aspect of all this is Goff’s attempts to take control of the Labour party. His is a mission doomed to failure, he literally cannot win.
By forcing Twyford out and then trying to crush Bates by bringing his expat mate he has picked a fight that he simply cannot win.
If bates gets the nods Goff has failed and will be rolled in short order.
If the carpetbagging old guy gets in then goff fails when the majority is slashed.
Goff is Custer and Mt Albert is his last stand.

I find this Billboard just plain odd. Nothing about voting Labour at all. National should immediately adopt this as one of their slogans and say – get a voice in Government put Mt Albert first and vote National. Not a word from Winston – will he stand???? Meanwhile Labour launch a campaign WITHOUT a candidate – is Goff attempting to twist things his way over that move.

Has anyone mentioned the irony of Labour likely to field a 50+ year old male caucasian as a candidate, the Greens a 40+ year old male caucasian as a candidate and National likely to field a 30-something female, asian immigrant to fill a seat vacated by a female MP? Admittedly Russell Norman is an Australian immigrant. National seems to be the party of diversity these days.